Camping, hunting and other outdoor activities are among today's most popular leisure activities. The people who enjoy these activities possess a variety of devices that are intended to provide many of the conveniences that they have become accustomed to at home. Portable stoves, inflatable mattresses, and even portable generators that make available a variety of appliances are among the devices commonly found at campsites across the nation. However, showering facilities are somewhat limited in quantity, especially during morning hours at busy shower houses, as the cost to build such dedicated facilities are somewhat high. These same cost factors exist at homes where one may desire an outside shower facility for use with a pool or to clean off after a dirty job before going in the house. Accordingly, there is a need for a means by which one can be provided the convenience of a shower facility at an outdoor location without the cost or dedicated space requirement of a fixed shower. The development of the present invention fulfills this need.
The present invention is a collapsible outdoor shower enclosure that folds up nearly flat to a wall surface when not in use. The shower enclosure is intended for use in outdoor locations where a general floor drain or similar means exists for removal of waste water. The present invention consists of a right wall assembly and a left wall assembly that fold up against the wall surface when in a retracted orientation. The right wall assembly comprises a first right wall, a second right wall, a right header support member, a right vertical anchor member, a right horizontal anchor member, and a right door. Similarly, the left wall assembly includes the same components. The right wall assembly and the left wall assembly have hinged connections allowing for the shower enclosure to fold up against the wall. When the shower enclosure is folded up in the retracted orientation, it protrudes approximately thirteen (13) inches from the stationary wall surface. During use, each of the wall assemblies fold out ninety degrees (90°) from the wall surface and include the right door and left door that form an entrance side for a user to enter the shower enclosure. Furthermore, the wall assemblies are provided with corner supports which pin to a ground surface, vertical anchor members which secure the enclosure to the wall surface, and horizontal anchor members which secure the enclosure to the ground surface. Also, a header is hingedly connected to the right header support member for further stabilizing the shower enclosure. When the shower enclosure is opened in an extended orientation, it forms a chamber area. When the user is finished using the shower enclosure, it is simply rinsed off and stowed back against the wall surface until the next usage. The use of the present invention provides users the ability to quickly and easily take a shower outdoors in a manner which is not only quick and easy but discrete as well. Furthermore, professional contractors frequently build outdoor enclosures such as a shower enclosure from scratch without reference to a set of plans or pre-measured lumber and hardware. The present invention would enable professional contractors to simply purchase one and construct it wherever one would be desired.
Several attempts have been made in the past to provide portable shower units. U.S. Pat. No. 6,389,617, issued to Hartline et al., discloses a portable shower apparatus that is collapsible by grasping a top member and pulling upwards in order to separate the top member from a bottom member thereby extending a shower curtain out to a fully extended position. However, unlike the present invention, the Hartline et al. device does not disclose a shower enclosure comprising wall assemblies hingedly attached to a wall surface thereby allowing the shower enclosure to fold up nearly flat to the wall surface when not in use. Furthermore, the shower curtain of the Harline et al. device fully encloses a user therein, whereas the present invention provides a three (3) sided wall assembly that attaches to the wall surface to provide a four (4) sided open walled enclosure for a user to shower outdoors.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,790,992, issued to Ray, discloses a portable shower comprising a pyramidal frame having four collapsible legs. The Ray shower involves providing a collapsible structure for showering which supports a water bottle adapted to absorb solar energy in a manner that allows for the receiving of sun rays and insulates the water bottle from the surrounding environment to minimize heat loss. However, unlike the present invention, the Ray device does not disclose wall assemblies hingedly connected. Also, as the Ray device concerns absorbing solar energy, it is not in the scope of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,315,721, issued to Okun, discloses a collapsible shower stall for creating a shower enclosure that allows alternate use of space when in a collapsed state for inside small bathrooms. However, unlike the present invention, the Okun shower stall is not for use outdoors and does not include hinged wall assemblies that are secured to a wall surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,216,763, issued to Grenier, discloses a portable shower apparatus comprising a curtain assembly having a plurality of spaced hollow hoops connected by one or more sets of manifolds. However, unlike the present invention, the Grenier apparatus is not comprised of wall assemblies but instead is comprised of a curtain assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,205,001, issued to O'Connell, discloses a portable shower for invalid use that comprises an expandable shower enclosure which extends vertically and a bottom which is sealingly connected with the shower enclosure to prevent water spillage while a user takes a shower. However, unlike the present invention, the O'Connell shower is to be used indoors and is a four (4) sided shower enclosure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,866,794, issued to Davies, discloses a portable shower unit constructed of a flexible material that can be suspended from an overhead support by a hook. However, unlike the present invention, the Davies shower has a flexible curtain assembly with a suspension for holding the flexible curtain assembly in a shower enclosure shape.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,413,363, issued to Troiano, discloses a portable shower system that can be disassembled from a position of use to be packed for transportation. However, unlike the present invention the Troiano shower has a plurality of shower ring connectors that connect a shower curtain to a mounting ring.
The prior art appears to disclose a variety of portable shower units. However, none of the prior art particularly describes a collapsible outdoor shower enclosure comprising a right wall assembly and a left wall assembly having a plurality of hinged connections that allow the shower enclosure to collapse to a nearly flat configuration when not in use. Accordingly, there exists a need for a means by which one can be provided the convenience of a shower facility at an outdoor location without the cost or dedicated space requirement of a fixed shower that operates without the disadvantages as described above.